Did you know the replacement of windows could yield one of the highest returns on your large residential, commercial, or industrial building? New windows are designed to not only insulate against the weather, but also provide better acoustic performance allowing you to save money on heating and cooling plus as relevant, charge a premium as required for resale or rental.

As with all things in life, there are specialists for most things. We are specialists in larger structures – we understand them, we know what is required to fix their issues and we have the equipment and capacity to perform the required work. Learn what the difference is between structural repair for larger buildings vs smaller ones.

Like all elements of a building, over time they need maintenance repairs or even replacement. In this blog we discuss the many aesthetic, practical and functional reasons why you should consider upgrading your windows.

Thinking of redecorating or giving your property a face-lift? Then you might consider rendering your brick walls, or painting an existing rendered surface. What some people do not realise is that there are two key decorative options which can be considered.

It can be a daunting task understanding roles and responsibilities in strata building maintenance. Does the load solely fall on the Owners Corporation? Should it fall under the remit of the building manager (if that role even exists) And what roles do strata managers and tenants play? Take a look through this blog to learn more about who does what.

As evidenced by high-profile fires in the last three years at Grenfell Tower (London), Lacrosse Docklands
(Melbourne) and the Torch Tower (Dubai), non-compliant fire panels – the type which have been used
extensively in Australia and around the world – represent a major fire hazard which can lead to multiple
deaths when a fire does start within the building.

Like your own general health, the best way to protect your building is to undertake routine checkups and maintenace. This allows you to notice when things start to look different and quickly identify issues which may need attention. We've put together a guide to help you notice key signs and what to do about them.

If you're issued with a Fire upgrade order, or are just looking to update your building so it is in line with the code, there are a number of considerations you need to be aware of. In this piece we discuss what they are and what you need to be aware of.

In the situation that you do need to hire a structural repair specialist, it is important that you find the right one, but knowing what to look for – for something you have little experience with – in a contractor can be somewhat overwhelming. To help make life that little bit easier, we have put together a cheat-sheet on hiring a structural repair specialist.

A recent national survey on strata-titled property – conducted by Queensland’s Griffith University and reported on Domain shows that building defects (physical problems found in the infrastructure or outer finish of a building) are the number one issue facing apartment owners in 2015.

The issue of fire safety is one which is very close to our hearts at Remedial Building Services. The opportunity to do our part, by giving building occupants the best chance of survival, is all the incentive we need really.

There is a saying along the lines of “A man (or woman’s) home is their castle”. I have no idea where the saying originated, but I think many of us can relate just the same. Home is where we feel safe, where everything is in order and where everything just feels right. Whilst we may enjoy this truth on the inside, sadly outside is not always the same. In some instances it is gardening duty and in others, building repair. Sadly, in many instances, Mother Nature works to conspire against dreams of our house being a castle, causing buildings to suffer from the effects of the environment (too often this is combined with poor quality construction methods).

I was reminded this week of the need to fix structural issues as they become apparent and to not delay maintenance. I was discussing the importance with a potential client who believed that fixing concrete cancer was as simple as removing the drummy concrete and rendering over the exposed area. I explained to them that this was a myopic view and one which would cost them more money in the short and medium term. They didn't want to agree, arguing that no immediate action was necessary to rectify the underlying issues I had explained. When they said this, I was reminded of the old expression which I will paraphrase here to make my point:

I was recently reading an article posted in the Sydney Morning Herald (“No end in sight to waiting game on Bunn Street”) about an apartment complex in Pyrmont Sydney with chronic structural issues and fire safety non-compliance. Due to these issues, residents had been forced to move out of the building in 2009 until such time the identified issues were rectified. Sadly, the residents are still not back at home in their apartments; instead, they are being housed at a cost of $90,000 a month, in Zetland.
This is just mind boggling. Not only is the cost of housing the residents elsewhere an unnecessary drain on the coffers of the NSW Government, but it is a gross imposition on the residents themselves who have been moved across town from the waterside suburb of Pyrmont to Zetland, a suburb in close proximity to the airport.

For some time there has been debate over the alternative solutions to concrete and structural repair issues. Some argue that treating the visible signs and monitoring them closely is a solution, whilst others put forward the thought that rapid response will ultimately lower the long term costs to the owner.

Archive

Latest News

You may not realise it, but the type of flooring you have in your workplace can be a factor in maintaining both the productivity and the welfare of your employees. Don’t believe us? Think about having carpet in a toilet block, or cold, raw concrete without matts behind your bar or in your production facility.
In this post we discuss flooring with a focus on the importance of the right Non-slip rating